Some of the aircraft of Carrier Air Wing 3 (CVW-3) sit on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS JOHN F. KENNEDY (CV-67) following the cease-fire that ended Operation Desert Storm. The aircraft are, from left: an Attack Squadron 46 (VA-46) A-7E Corsair aircraft, three Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron 130 (VAQ-130) EA-6B Prowler aircraft and several Attack Squadron 75 (VA-75) A-6E Intruder aircraft. A P-16 shipboard firefighting and rescue truck is at right

Aircraft carriers are warships that act as airbases for carrier-based aircraft. In the United States Navy, these consist of ships commissioned with hull classification symbols CV (aircraft carrier), CVA (attack aircraft carrier), CVB (large aircraft carrier), CVL (light aircraft carrier), CVN (aircraft carrier (nuclear propulsion) and CVAN (attack aircraft carrier (nuclear propulsion). The first aircraft carrier commissioned into the United States Navy was USS Langley (CV-1) on 20 March 1922.